Former Brighton & Hove Albion striker is the top scorer in Europe this season

A former Brighton & Hove Albion striker is the top scorer in Europe so far this season, ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane, writes James Wootton.

Stephen Dobbie, 35, who now features in the Scottish Championship for Queen of the South, scored his fourth hat-trick of the season at the weekend to bring his goal tally to 24 goals in just 15 games in all competitions.

Despite Dobbie's goals, Queen of the South sit mid-table in the Scottish Championship, having only won two out of eight games.

Dobbie was a deadline-day signing for Albion back in 2012 but did not quite make the impression on the South Coast that he has north of the border.

He was restricted to just five starts for the Seagulls and netted just twice in 15 matches in total. He scored a last-minute winner against Peterborough in a 1-0 win at the Amex, with his other goal coming from the penalty spot away to Wolves four days later.

The forward left Albion to join arch rivals Crystal Palace, initially on loan in January 2013, before making the move permanent in the summer.

He then went on to play for Blackpool, Fleetwood and Bolton, before moving back to Scotland where he started his career.

Since returning to Queen of the South in August 2016, Dobbie has scored 75 goals in 99 games. He netted 54 times in 97 matches in his first spell for the club from 2007 to 2009.

His form this season has him out-scoring some of the biggest names in the world. Barcelona striker Messi has 11 goals in all competitions this season and French wonder kid Mbappe, despite his four goals for PSG against Lyon at the weekend, has ten.

Harry Kane, the golden boot winner at the World Cup in the summer, has six goals for Tottenham this year and Ronaldo, after joining Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer, has netted just four times in nine matches.